Former NL MVP plans to push tough 2014 season in past with return to form

In the days leading up to Opening Day, MLB.com is examining various aspects of each team's roster. Today, the time has come to focus on a key player for the upcoming season. For the Reds, that's first baseman Joey Votto.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- One of the best pieces of news to come for Reds fans in Spring Training this year is actually a recent lack of news about first baseman Joey Votto's health.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Reds manager Bryan Price has guarded his thoughts about his projected regular-season lineup -- seemingly with lock-and-key -- all spring. But despite Price being coy, it was reasonable to expect center fielder Billy Hamilton would lead off and shortstop Zack Cozart would be the eighth hitter.

With his lineup on Monday vs. the Padres, Price threw a curveball at such assumptions. With seven of the Reds' eight regulars starting, Hamilton was in the seventh spot, while second baseman Brandon Phillips led off.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Using three home runs, including two in the fifth inning, the Padres rolled to a 6-3 victory over the Reds on Monday at Goodyear Ballpark.

Matt Kemp, who is batting .375, connected for his fourth homer of the spring with one out in the top of the fourth. Kemp launched a 2-2 pitch from Anthony DeSclafani for a two-run shot to left-center field.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- In his second season as Reds manager, Bryan Price appeared to preside over a smooth Spring Training that had fewer injuries and more competition for spots as Opening Day approaches next Monday.

Nevertheless, Price's task is no easier this year. Following the Reds' 76-win, fourth-place finish last season, the National League Central will arguably be the deepest, most talented and most difficult division in all of baseball in 2015. A case can be made for virtually every team in the division to be a contender.

Dominguez, Boesch lead offensive charge behind Marquis

Reds' non-roster invitees continue to shine in win over Angels

3/29/15: Chris Dominguez drills a three-run home run to left field and increases the Reds' lead to four runs

By Cash Kruth
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MLB.com |

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Chris Dominguez hit a three-run home run and Brennan Boesch went 2-for-5 as the Reds beat the Angels, 8-6, on Sunday at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Cincinnati's Jason Marquis continued his solid spring, working six innings with three earned runs and three strikeouts. Angels starter Andrew Heaney, the club'sNo. 1 prospect per MLB.com, was once again burned by a big inning.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Reds will break camp on Thursday following the final Cactus League game of spring vs. the Indians. After that, they fly to Montreal for exhibition games Friday and Saturday vs. the Blue Jays.

With 36 players remaining, will the Reds have a set 25-man roster before heading north of the border?

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Reds All-Star catcher Devin Mesoraco felt relieved Sunday afternoon after being diagnosed with a left quadriceps cramp. Mesoraco felt his quad tighten running the bases and worried it was serious when he exited the game vs. the Angels in the top of the third inning.

"There's still some good strength in there," Mesoraco said. "It was hot, maybe I didn't drink enough water. I'm not sure."

Key for Bruce is health, not spring results

Reds right fielder says he feels 'awesome' physically

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jay Bruce's results in Cactus League games would suggest he's not locked in yet for the regular season. Fortunately for a veteran like the Reds' right fielder, results aren't the most important thing right now. That won't be until April 6, when the season opens vs. the Pirates.

What does count now is that Bruce is feeling good when he's at the plate, which was something he could not say last season.

Price: Chapman may be asked to get more than three outs

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Reds closer Aroldis Chapman has demonstrated effective pitching throughout the spring, but Saturday's outing was about as smooth as it could have been.

Against a Cubs split-squad, Chapman -- serving as the Reds' starting pitcher -- faced three batters and struck out the side in his only inning of work. Leadoff batter Dexter Fowler was called out on a 3-2 pitch. Arismendy Alcantara swung and missed on a fastball following a changeup for strike three. Jorge Soler ended the inning on a called third strike.

Third baseman, outfielder each launch fourth spring HR; Chapman sharp

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Using four runs in the first inning and four more in the fourth inning, the Reds cruised to a 9-5 victory on Saturday over a Cubs split-squad.

Todd Frazier led Cincinnati with two hits and four RBIs, including a three-run home run to right field. With one out in the inning, Frazier sent Minor League reliever Frank Bautista's first pitch over the fence in right field for his team-lead-tying fourth homer of spring.

Iglesias allows six runs (three earned) and strikes out four in four frames

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Brewers hit two home runs while Brandon Phillips drove in four runs for the Reds. In the end, it was Milwaukee that prevailed with a 8-6 victory at Goodyear Ballpark.

It was a bumpy night for both starting pitchers. Reds starter, and rotation candidate, Raisel Iglesias gave up three runs in the first inning and three more in the third. The top of the first began with three straight sharply connected hits, including home runs by leadoff batter Scooter Gennett and Jonathan Lucroy for a 3-0 Milwaukee lead.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Other than the fact that he occasionally told his catcher, and by virtue the opposing hitter, what he was throwing and where it would be located, Reds ace Johnny Cueto had a pretty normal-looking first start back on Friday after his return to camp.

Facing Dodgers Minor League hitters in a Double-A game on a back field at the Reds complex, Cueto pitched five innings with two earned runs and five hits, no walks, four strikeouts and one wild pitch. He threw 60 pitches, including 47 for strikes.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Reds pitching prospect Michael Lorenzen will say that the decision of whether he makes the big league team out of camp is out of his hands, but his performance on Thursday certainly didn't hurt his chances.

In his first start of spring, while facing the Indians in a 13-2 win, Lorenzen allowed one run and four hits over three innings with no walks and no strikeouts. Over his five Cactus League games, he has a 1.64 ERA in his 11 innings of work.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Todd Frazier and Devin Mesoraco each belted a home run for the Reds on Thursday, capitalizing on a rough day on the mound for Indians starter Danny Salazar in a 13-2 victory over Cleveland at Goodyear Ballpark. Cincinnati had 19 hits in the game, with all 12 of its hitters collecting at least one hit.

Frazier and Mesoraco homered in the first and second inning, respectively, helping Cincinnati to an early, 5-1, lead in Salazar's latest audition for a spot in Cleveland's rotation. Joey Votto (three RBIs) and Billy Hamilton (two hits, one RBI) also helped lead the Reds' early offense.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Brandon Phillips uses Jose Siri like a phone

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By Michael Clair |

Noted astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has warned us about the dangers of artificial intelligence, saying AI "would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn't compete and would be superseded."

Brandon Phillips further explored that idea while in the dugout on Thursday. Pulling teammate Jose Siri over, Phillips took out an imaginary smartphone (showing excellent prop work along the way) and proceded to engage with his teammate/computer assistant.

Every Spring Training, prospects get a chance to show what they can do as they prepare for the season ahead. Some are competing for jobs in big league camp, others are prepping for the season as they vie for spots at Minor League affiliates up and down a team's system. MLBPipeline.com will be visiting all 30 camps this spring. Today, we check in on the Cincinnati Reds.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Reds will admit that their farm system had a stretch when it was thin. There's a feeling now that things are changing for the better.

Rotation candidate strikes out 9 in best spring start

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Using a four-run bottom of the second inning while sending nine men to the plate, the Reds claimed a 5-0 victory over the Rangers on Wednesday at Goodyear Ballpark.

Appeared headed into the Cincinnati rotation, Anthony DeSclafani had his best outing in his fifth start of spring. DeSclafani pitched six scoreless innings with four hits, three walks and nine strikeouts.

Mike Bauman is a national columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- When Reds fans begin streaming into Great American Ball Park for the first time in 2015 on Opening Day, they should immediately notice a flurry of offseason upgrades that were made to the ballpark.

Among the biggest changes this season is the arrival of The Handlebar at the Riverfront Club.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Reds had 15 players spend time on the disabled list last season, but left-handed reliever Manny Parra wasn't one of them. But the injuries Parra endured did pile up, leaving periods of time that made him quietly unavailable to pitch despite manager Bryan Price's daily lineup card indicating otherwise.

Parra missed 10 days at the end of June with a sore shoulder and missed an additional 12 days around the end of July because of back spasms. He didn't pitch after Sept. 17 because of a sore elbow.